Fishing lures are generally constructed or made to look like living animals such as flies, insects, worms, or other organisms upon which fish prefer to prey. It is known that certain fish are attracted to particular features or colors that a bait animal or a fishing lure may exhibit, depending on the type of fish, water composition, temperature, and other conditions or environmental factors. Therefore, it is difficult for a fishing person or angler to know exactly which fishing lure will attract the most fish on any given day or location or to know which is the best fishing lure that will attract which type of fish. Fishing persons or anglers generally carry a large assortment of fishing lures and use them in a trial-and-error manner to determine which lure is the most attractive to each type of fish.
It is also known that fish are very attracted to eyes of various animals or insects because they associate and identify different living organisms based on the appearance of the eyes. It is further known to fishing persons or anglers that certain fish are more attracted to particular eye and head color combinations. Therefore, fishing lures are often constructed or made to show the appearance of having a head and eyes of various attractive colors.
One problem, however, that exists with many common fishing lures (i.e. simulated worm lures and tied fly lures as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) is that they do not have a distinct head or eyes. Baits that have head and/or eye features have therefore been developed and exist in the prior art. A problem associated with fishing lures that have a distinct head and eyes is that the head and eyes are generally permanent because they are painted on or fastened via adhesive or other fastening devices to the fishing lure. Therefore, they do not allow the appearance of the lure (i.e. color of head or eyes) to be easily altered, changed, or interchanged at the fishing site. Furthermore, some of these prior art baits are manufactured so that the head and/or eye features attach to and are typically only interchangeable to specially manufactured bait body portions and are not able to attach to presently existing or conventional baits or lures. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,182,876 and 5,331,762 disclose examples of such specially manufactured prior art baits or lures with interchangeable heads. These prior art patents are incorporated by reference herein.
Further attempts have been made to provide removably mounted eyes for baits and lures. However, some of these prior art removably mounted eyes are, at times, cumbersome and difficult to attach to the lure, and some are not even mountable at all to some types of lures (i.e. a fly lure as shown in FIG. 3). Furthermore, if these removably mounted eyes fall off or detach from the lure during use, then they will be lost.
Examples of common prior art lures are shown in FIGS. 1-3. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional prior art worm and hook lure 10. The lure 10 comprises a soft plastic worm 13 wherein a portion of the worm 13 is threaded through and mounted to a hook portion 12. A fishing line 5 is attached to the eyelet 11 of the hook 12. FIG. 2 shows a common problem with these lures 10 that is, the simulated worm/animal portion 12 of the lure 10 may slide down the shank 12A of the hook 12 while the lure 10 is being used. When this sliding of the worm 12 occurs, the physical characteristics of the lure are altered, and the lure may obstruct the barbed end 12B of the hook 12. Eyes/retaining devices for baits that help retain the body (i.e. soft body) of the bait to a hook have been developed and exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,569 to Thomas, Jr. discloses an example of such eyes/retaining device. This prior art patent is incorporated by reference herein. However, these eyes/retaining devices are difficult to use since the eyes/retaining devices need to be inserted through the bait body and also insertingly aligned through the eyelet of the hook.
FIG. 3 shows a prior art fly lure 20 (i.e. tied fly lure type). The fly lure 20 comprises a fly body portion 23 that is tied or wrapped tightly around the shank 22A of a hook 22, and various attractive features 25 further provide the fly lure 20 with the appearance or look of a real insect. The head portion 24 is generally made by wrapping heavy thread around the shank 22A of the hook 22 until a desired thickness is obtained. The thread is then cemented or bonded together. Fishing line 5 is shown attached to the eyelet 21 of the hook 22. However, these prior art fly lures 20 do not provide a surface area which allows for easy mounting or interchanging of head and/or eyes features for the lure or bait.
Therefore, the need exits for an adaptably mountable head that allows for a variety of head and eye color combinations and are easily adapted to attach and couple to and are interchangeable between and released/removed from a variety of presently existing or common fishing lures. Furthermore, a device/head for a lure that prevents a body portion of a lure from sliding down the shank of a hook is also needed and desired.